Even with all the fireworks and explosions going off around Premier McKeeva Bush at home he led a Cayman Islands delegation for Curacao on Wednesday (25) morning to attend the First High-level Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (COCT) Council Meeting. The meeting commenced on Thursday (26) with discussions covering a range of matters affecting relations between the overseas territories and the European Union.

An election of the COCT Council executive body was at the top of the day’s agenda. Discussion on a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the COCT Council followed with the meeting culminating with the signing of the MoU. Other matters on the agenda were: areas of regional cooperation around sustainable development; strengthening the development of small and medium sized enterprises; and the regional position within the framework of the 11th European Union – Overseas Countries and Territories Forum.

Besides the Cayman Islands, other British Overseas Territories attending the meeting are Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat. The Dutch territories and countries participating are Saba, St. Eustatius, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Aruba, and Curacao.

Delegates accompanying the Premier to the COCT Council meeting are Chief of Staff Leonard Dilbert, Jamaal Anderson, Technical Assistant European Union Projects in the Cabinet Office and Attorney Steve McField.

There is much criticism here against the premier for still going ahead with this trip in the wake of the three police investigations concerning him that has led for cries of him resigning and a “no confidence motion” being tabled by opposition members of the Legislative Assembly.